Air bladder for inflated balls



M. W. IDEN AIR BLADDER FOR INFLATED BALLS Sept. 29, 1925. 1,555,373.

Filed Oct 6, 1924 Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,555,313 PATENT OFFICE.

MAX WILHELM IDEN, or HAMBURG, GERMANY, A'SSIGNOR To AUGUST BORGHE-RS, or HAMBURG, GERMANY.

AIR BLADDER FOR INFLATIED BALLS.

Application filed ctober 6, 1924. Serial No. 742,044.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MAX W ILHELM IDEN, citizen of Germany, residing at Hamburg,

Englische ,Planke 4-, Germany, have in- 5 vented certain new and useful Improve ments in-Air Bladders for Inflated Balls,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to an air bladder for inflatedballs, such as handballs, foot-balls, rugby-balls, and the like, and has the advantage that the neck of the bladder through which the compressed air is fed can be pushed into the filled bladder itself after being closed without fear of the compressed air pushing the neck back again out of the bladder. By these means the closing of the casing is considerably facilitated, because heretofore it was very difiicult to hold the neck back while closing the casing, the compressed airtending to push the neck out again through the slot or hole of the casing.

The pushing out of the neck of the bladder by compressed air is always met with in one of the-known constructions, in which the bladder is provided with a conical sleeve, at the reduced end of which the neck is mounted. When the bladder is filled the neck is doubled up like a U and tied up in usual way,'whereupon the sleeve is pushed inwardly into the bladder, the neck entering the hollow of the sleeve. Since hereby the walls of the sleeve cannot withstand the pressure of the air and since these walls are considerably large so as to provide for the necessary space for the doubled-up neck, they present such a large surface to the compressed air, that the latter drives the sleeve and therefore also the neck back out of the bladder.

The invention resides therein, that for closing the neck a plug is provided, which is adapted to be inserted into the neck and pushed together with the neck into the bladder, the neck being so constructed, that when the plug, sticking in the neck, is pushed into the space of the bladder, the neck will partly be turned inside out, curling away from one part of the plug and sliding over that part of the neck remaining behind, so that the plug is clasped by the doubled and therefore firmly holding neck. The pressure of the air acts round-about the neck, and consequently that part of the pressure acting against the end of the plug in its longitu dinal direction is not able to press the plug out, since the pressure of the neck round the plug creates a frictional resistance against the plug being pushed. out, and evidently this resistance cannot be overcome by the comparatively slight pressure of the air against the end of the plug.

In order to enable or to facilitate the inward movement of the neck into the bladder, when pushing the plug, and also to facilitate the neck being turned inside out, this tubular neck is not directly attached to the bladder but by the aid of a widenedpartor an expansion of the neck, allowing for the necessary width or space for the neck to be pressed inwardly. This expansion, which is not very great, is also employed for holding the plug fast. WVith this object in view, the plug is provided with a thickenedpart, of such shape, that it can fill up the said expansion, when pressed inwardly, whereby the expansion is firmly pressed against the said thickened part.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 shows an air bladder partly in section, the plug being inserted into the neck, but before being pushed into the bladder.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to the sectional part of Fig. 1, but the neck fully ppshed into the bladder together with the p ug.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modified view of the plug.

The comparatively short tubular neck a is connected with the bladder 12 by an expansion 0, which in the construction shown has the shape of a truncated cone, but may have any other desired shape. A plug 03 serves for closing the bladder after being filled with compressed air. Before the plug is inserted into the neck a the expansion 0 will be pressed together by thumb and finger to prevent the escape of the compressed air. The plug is provided with a shoulder e merging into a truncated cone f or the like, corresponding to the expansion 0 of the neck.

When the plug (1 is inserted into the neck a to such an extent that the utmost end of the neck abuts against the shoulder c (Fig. 1), a further inward pressure will cause the plug to enter the bladder b, where by the neck a together with its expansion 0 will also be moved inwardly into the bladder Then the neck will partly curl up from the plug and be doubled up on the upper part of the plug, the outer layer of the doubled part of the neck being increased in diameter will have a greater contractive tension. Also the shoulder e of the plug (:1 will cause the neck to grasp it with a greater force. The truncated cone f of the plug fills up the space of the inverted expan sion 0. The compressed air acts on the neck and its expansion 0, thus firmly pressing the neck against the plug and its shoulder a and cone 7", so that the plug cannot be pressed out by the pressure against its end.

The plug can be made of any suitable hard material, such as wood, fibre or the like, or even hard rubber. At the basis of the cone 7" preferably an oval plate f/ of leather or soft rubber is mounted,rserving for attaching the neck in a flap inside the casing below the opening, through which the bladder is introduced into the casing. In a hole of this fiap the plate 9 is inserted. By these means a displacement of the bladder Within the casing is prevented.

When a casing with a laced slot is used, the plug is provided with two plates of leather or soft rubber, 3), of which only the front one is inserted through a hole of a tongue attached under the lacing slot of the casing.

I claim:

1. A compressed air bladder, a filling tube attached to the bladder, a plug toclose the tube and be inserted, with the tube, inside of the bladder, a section of the-filling tube after insertion into the bladder lying rolled over on itself and tightly embracing the, plug, said section of tube being substantially uniform throughout in cross section.

2. A compressed air bladder, a filling tube attached to the bladder, a plug to close the tube and be inserted, with the tube, inside of the bladder, a section of the filling tube after insertion into the bladder lying rolled over on itself and tightly embracing the plug,- the filling tube including an expanded portion positioned between the bladder and the said section of tube, the plug having a portion snugly fitting the said section of tube, and an enlarged part to fit the ex panded portion of the tube.

8. A compressed air bladder, a filling tube attached to the bladder, a plug to close the tube and be inserted, with thetube, inside of the bladder, a section of the filling tube after insertion into the bladder lying rolled over on itself and tightly embracing the plug, said section of tube being substanti'ally uniform throughout in cross section, the filling tube including an expanded portionpositioned between the bladder and the said section of tube, the plug having a portion snugly fitting the said section of tube,

and an enlarged part to fit the expanded portion of the tube.

l. A compressed air bladder, a filling tube attached to the bladder, a plug to close the tube, and be inserted, With a tube, inside of the bladder, a section of the filling tube after insertion into the bladder lying rolled over on itself and tightly embracing the plug, the filling tube including an expanded portion positioned between the bladder and the said section of tube, the plug having a portion snugly fitting the said'section of tube, and an enlarged part to fit the expanded portion of the tube, the expanded portion of the tube increasing in section from the said section of tube to the bladder.

MAX VVILHELM IDEN. 

